Part 6 The Prince's Perspective

(Authors Note: Ok I know you've all been waiting for Arthurs turn. So here it is! Again it's third person. I own nothing!)

He had Merlin back. He could breathe again. Stupid self-sacrificing clot-pole! If he ever tried something like that again, Arthur would kill him himself. When the witch had frozen him he had thought he was going to die. Though he would never admit it there had been a flicker of fear in him. Until Merlin once again proved himself to be a loyal idiot. He couldn't move but he had heard everything.

Merlin had traded his safety, probably his life, for Arthur. As he was led off he looked back and saw determination fighting fear and exhaustion in Merlin's sapphire blue eyes. He had tried to fight it but the witches spell still held his muscles in their frozen state. His weapons had been returned to him and his hands tied in front of him. They had loaded him onto his horse and forced the reigns into his hands. He clung to his horse for dear life as the horse galloped off. He was watching, watching for as long as he could. Merlin was watching him from one of the windows of the fortress. His last view of his servant, of his friend, was of his eyes rolling up into his head as he crumpled.

Guilt tugged at his heart. Merlin wouldn't be in this situation if not for him. He knew his knights would be looking for him and tried to pull his horse to a stop but couldn't. It was panicked. He needed to get his hands free. He was almost halfway back to Camelot when he finally managed to wriggle his way out of the ropes. He calmed his horse by some miracle and was about to turn around and go back for Merlin when his horse bucked, frightened by a crossbow bolt that had just missed Arthur. He fell and his horse bolted as the clearing filled with men. Bandits, real ones this time, not the witch's men. He pulled his sword.

"I do not have time for this!" He growled and the men attacked. He sliced down several of them before he heard a familiar battle cry. Suddenly his knights were diving into the battle. He smiled just a little as Lancelot finished off a bandit who had tried to run Arthur through. Lancelot raised an eyebrow. Arthur knew what the knight was asking.

'Where's Merlin?' Arthur shook his head. When the battle was over Gwaine approached Arthur.

"Good to see you Princess. Where's Merlin?" Arthur shook his head and explained. The image of Merlin crumpling to the ground alone and at the mercy of that witch who had said she wanted his blood haunted him every time he blinked. When he finished Gwaine swore loudly, looking beyond angry.

"And you just left him!?" How could you do that!"

"I didn't have much of a choice!" He felt tears sting his eyes. Lancelot sheathed his sword and Leon came back into the clearing, leading his and Arthur's horses.

"She didn't go far. Are you alright Sire? Where's Merlin?" At least Leon asked Arthur if he was alright before inquiring after his wayward manservant.

"Let's go!" Lancelot said untying his own horse from behind a tree. "Care to lead the way Sire?" He asked pointedly. Gwaine glared at him until he realized that Lancelot wasn't facing west, towards Camelot, but east, in the direction Arthur had appeared from. Arthur leapt onto his horse and led the knights back to the fortress. It was night by the time they reached it. They split up. Arthur wasn't exactly sure which side of the castle Merlin was on but he knew which floor. Elyan, Leon and Percival went one way; Arthur, Lancelot and Gwaine went the other. When Arthur finally broke down the door his heart had almost stopped.

The witch had Merlin pinned down in a chair. Her mouth was attached to his neck. A small amount of crimson liquid leaked around her lips. Blood. He yelled in furry. She leapt away from Merlin. His neck continued to dribble blood from two holes in his neck just above his collarbone.

"Let him go!" Gwaine shouted anger filling his voice. The three men attacked together. She danced back, Merlin's blood smeared over her mouth. She hissed as Gwaine landed a blow to her arm. He cut down to the bone and it sounded like metal striking wood but she didn't seem hurt, more angry than anything else. She tried to lunge around them, trying to get to Merlin, who had slipped out of the chair onto the floor. His eyes, normally so full of life, were glazed and dull.

"Lancelot!" Arthur warned and the knight lunged and sliced up opening a cut on the witch's torso. She shrieked in pain and frustration then she stepped into a shadow and melted. Lancelot pulled Merlin up by his right arm. His neck had stopped bleeding and his eyes had regained a little focus. He heard Gwaine whisper something to Merlin as he took hold of his other arm. Fear tugged at Arthur. Merlin was limp as a rag doll, his glazed eyes searching almost blindly. He focused on Arthur and his eyes seemed to clear a little.

"Idiot! You should have fought back!" He sounded worried, even to his own ears. Merlin slurred but did manage words.

"Made a deal. Keep you safe." The wave of guilt was almost crushing. Gwaine glared at Arthur accusingly. Lancelot was examining Merlin's neck which appeared to be healing itself. The spell the witch must have had him under must be wearing off.

"Idiot! Don't do that again!" Arthur wasn't yelling, more whispering loudly. Even Gwaine could hear the worry in his voice. Arthur led them out into the hall. Merlin struggled for a moment but he seemed to be teetering on the edge of consciousness. His head fell back and his shirt, which was cut open, fell open revealing an ugly scar. Gwaine gasped.

"How did he get that?!" He whispered. Merlin's eyes had rolled up into his head. Arthur shook his head, trying to look away but the angry scar kept drawing his attention. It covered most of Merlin's upper chest. It felt wrong, it looked wrong, clashing with the pale skin around it. What had happened? How had Arthur not noticed it? Arthur knew a lot about scars. From his experience this one was at the very least four maybe five years old. Merlin had been working for him back then.

Even as the knights loaded Merlin onto the horse in front of Arthur guilt ate at the prince regents heart. He wrapped one arm around Merlin's waist. He felt the boys even breathing and relaxed a little as the knights followed him back towards Camelot.